9.3 Extension Leads, Hand Lamps & Defective Tools on Site

9.3 Extension Leads, Hand Lamps & Defective Tools on Site

Work equipment questions in the ECS assessment are practical: what do you do when a drill smokes, a guard is missing or a cable reel feels hot? PUWER 1998 requires equipment to be suitable, maintained and used only by people who are trained, and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment to be safe. On site those duties come down to a few habits that every operative must follow.

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Who May Use Work Equipment

• Only trained and authorised people may operate plant and equipment. Being over 18 or holding a full driving licence is not enough on its own.
• There is no general minimum age in law for using power tools. What matters is that the user is trained and competent, which needs initial and refresher training. (Young people under 18 do need a specific risk assessment; see section 10.3.)
• Never operate plant you have not been trained on just because the usual operator is absent.

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User Checks: Every Time You Use It

The user is responsible for a visual check each time portable equipment is used. Neither the storeman nor the electrician who did the last formal inspection can see damage that happened yesterday. Check:

1. Plug: not cracked, pins not bent, no burn marks, and the cord grip holding the outer sheath.
2. Cable: no cuts, abrasion, burn marks, kinks or taped joints along its whole length.
3. Casing: not cracked, with no loose parts or missing screws.
4. Switch: works properly and returns to off.
5. Guards and accessories: guard fitted and adjusted; discs, blades and bits sharp and of the right type.
6. Inspection label: in date.

Always disconnect from the power source, or remove the battery, before adjusting a tool, changing a blade or bit, or clearing a jam.

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Faults: Stop, Remove, Report

Any damaged or defective equipment must be reported to your supervisor, and you must stop using it. The ECS bank tests this with many scenarios:

Never tape over damage, make up a guard, borrow another tool and say nothing, or keep switching it off and on. Label defective equipment DO NOT USE so nobody else picks it up.

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Using the Right Voltage

On construction sites, portable hand tools, portable hand lamps for general use and local lighting up to 2 kW should be supplied at 110V from a transformer, usually coloured yellow, which steps the 230V mains down to 110V centre-tapped to earth. If you only have a 230V drill and the site only has yellow 110V socket-outlets, obtain a 110V drill or a cordless one. Never cut off the plug and fit a yellow one, or make up an adapter lead: equipment must not be modified or run at a voltage other than its design voltage. Where 230V equipment has to be used, it must be protected by a 30 mA RCD (section 11.2).

For portable hand lamps in confined or damp locations, such as inside tanks, ducts or wet excavations, use a separated extra-low voltage (SELV) supply of no more than 50V, because wet, conductive surroundings make any shock more severe.

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Extension Leads and Cable Reels

• A cable reel's rating is much lower when the cable is coiled than when it is fully unwound, because a coiled cable cannot lose heat. Check both ratings on the label and never exceed the reeled or unreeled rating that applies; for heavy loads, unwind the cable fully.
• Use leads with industrial (BS EN 60309) plugs and couplers, with no joints other than proper connectors.
• Route leads where they will not create tripping hazards: along walls, at high level on hooks, or under protective covers.
• If a lead has to cross a site road, place a rubber protection ramp over it and put up a "Ramp ahead" sign so drivers slow down. Never just throw boards over it.
• Protect leads from sharp edges, doors, hot surfaces and crushing by materials.
• Unplug and coil leads at the end of the shift, and report damaged leads like any other faulty equipment.

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Hand Tools Are Work Equipment Too

PUWER applies to hammers, chisels, screwdrivers and spanners as well as power tools. They must be suitable for the task and regularly inspected:

• Replace hammers with loose or cracked handles.
• Dress or replace mushroomed chisels and punches.
• Use screwdrivers with insulated shafts for electrical work, and never use them as levers or chisels.
• Use the right size spanner rather than packing it.

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Plant and Vehicles

Only people who are trained and authorised may drive site plant such as dumpers, telehandlers and MEWPs. Never ride on plant unless it is designed to carry passengers and has a seat for you, and never hitch rides on the back of a vehicle (section 10.3).

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ECS Exam Focus

• Visual checks of portable hand-held equipment: by the user, each time it is used.
• Before adjusting an electrical tool: disconnect it from the power source.
• Damaged equipment: report it to your supervisor and do not use it.
• 230V reduced to 110V on site: by a transformer.
• Preferred voltage for site hand tools, general hand lamps and local lighting up to 2 kW: 110V.
• Hand lamps in confined or damp locations: 50V maximum.
• Cable across a site road: rubber ramp and "Ramp ahead" sign.